Life Is Hard, Jesus is Real!

In the past three days I have once again been reminded about the fragility and uncertainty of life. Last Thursday my brother-in-law Kurt texted me that a nephew of his had died unexpectedly from a heart attack. This man was on a detail with the company he worked for and had unusual chest pains. He went to the hospital on Wednesday evening and died Thursday. No prior heart issues. Now his wife, children and family are left with a huge, unexpected void in their lives.

Early this morning I received a message from a dear friend who lives on a First Peoples reservation in northern Alberta. She is about the only Christian within many miles of where she lives. As far as I know, no one else in her family knows Christ as Savior. Diane had helped us in the past with weeks and weeks of children’s ministry. The drug, sexual, and alcohol abuse in her community is more severe than what our reservations and communities here in Montana experience it seems. She had lost many friends to cancer, drug overdose and murder during the 20 plus years we have known her. Well, a young man, one of her cousins, took his life yesterday (Sunday July 14th). Diane had just spent hours with her younger brother who is beyond crushed as another relative has chosen to end his life as he feels death will be more bearable than living. Oh, the hopelessness and sadness of it all. Now she is concerned for the welfare of her brother, and others in the community who may consider ending their life as well.

In our 23 plus years of ministry we have dealt with several suicides and many with severe depression. Five years ago, a good friend, a man who knew Christ as Savior, who had helped us and many in his hometown with ministry to children and adults, took his life. John was a childhood friend. He had grown up with an abusive alcoholic father. His mother suffered with mental illness, and spent many periods institutionalized. His life was hard at times. At 33 though John became what he called “a reformed Catholic” and received Jesus as Savior. He became a born-again Christian and found the freedom that genuine faith produces in the one who follows Jesus. Yet the trauma, and damage in his life haunted him, and finally deceived him into thinking death was better than life. And yes, theologically for a Christian it is. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Yet it is not God’s desire for anyone to take their own life, or that of a another.

I know even for me, when I take my eyes off the Lord and focus on the circumstances of life, or my “feelings”; or start worrying about my adult children and the poor decisions they have made, or are making, and how that affects their children, and their children’s view of God, family, life…it gets me depressed and confused for a while. I must be reminded that God is in control, He cares about me and those I love, and that as a child of His “all things wok together for (my good) good to them that love Him (Romans 8:28). When you find yourself worried and anxious, Matthew 6: 25-34 is some good medicine!

“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Life is full of many challenges and surprises, but if we are informed and grounded in the Word of God, we will be able to get through the journey safe and sound! You can call on Jesus right now and ask Him into your life as Savior, he is only a prayer away (Romans 10: 9-10, Ephesians 2: 8-9).

Dave Carroll is an area missionary with InFaith, America’s oldest Christian home mission agency. He is also pastor of the Wolf Creek Baptist Church. You can contact Dave at 406.459.8935 or davecarroll@infaith.org